End of the Assignment
by Toni
Summary: A SWAlias crossver AU look at Siri's undercover mission as Zora. How will she bring down Krayn's slave trading organization? Completed!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All movie characters, etc. belong to George Lucas. Many thanks go to Jude Watson for providing the main characters and situation for this fic.

"In the world of the spy, nothing is as it seems. Your closest friends are your enemies; every plot has a hidden agenda; fact is stranger than rumor, and no one can be trusted. Anyone who enters the deadly world of espionage must have the sharpest wits, the best equipment, and the most complete information."

End of the Assignment

Chapter 1

"In a way, you have determined the choice of planet that'll be destroyed first." (Tarkin, ANH)

"Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life." (Anakin Skywalker, AOTC)

Leaning back in the co-pilot's seat, Zora turned across the console to talk to her boss, Krayn. He was looking out at the stars with an expression on his face that made her wonder what he was thinking about. While some might not have interrupted him, she hated the silence and had something important to ask. "So, how do you keep track of all your clients and your contacts and your, you know, inventory?"

"Why? Thinking about striking it out on your own?" Krayn asked in a voice she couldn't read. It really was frustrating to not be able to read him after all these months.

"Well, that was always the eventual idea."

"I'll miss having a beautiful woman work for me. But when you work on your own, here's a hint. I keep everything on a server hidden in a compartment behind the walls of my office. It's not connected to the Holonet, so I don't have to worry about anyone hacking into it."

_You really have no idea how valuable that piece of information is to me._

"Thanks," replied Zora. "I hate to have to leave. We work so well together. But I'll never be number one here."

"True enough. And I'd like to think we can play well together,too." All right, she could read _that. _Krayn leered over the console at her.

"I'd like that. Why don't I surprise you sometime?" Zora asked.

"Looking forward to it."

Zora started twirling her short auburn hair, trying to contain her disgust…and excitement. "Sure looks quiet out here tonight. You can handle the console yourself, can't you?"

"Of course," Zora replied.

Krayn got out of his seat and started walking towards the cargo hold. He stopped and turned back to Zora. "I haven't thanked you yet for finding that hot babe. I'm sure she'll be fun to play with. Market's a standard week from today, so I better play every chance I get."

"That 'hot babe' looks about twelve to me."

"Since when do you care about how I have fun?"

"I'm just talking is all."

Krayn lifted up the trap door of the cargo hold and started walking down the ladder. As soon as the trapdoor was closed, Zora used the console to log on to the Holonet. She was going to send a message to the Jedi Council with the information that Krayn had given her and the start of the plan that was coming together in her mind about how to get the information from the server.

_My mission's almost finished, thank the Force!_

It was depressing that she could never get a message back. But if the plan that was coming together worked, that would only last a few more days. Just one more visit to Krayn's office, where they were heading to get everything they needed for the market.

Zora heard a girl's screams coming up from beneath her.

She then put her elbows on the console, held her chin in her hands, and cried.


	2. Chapter 2

End of the Assignment

Chapter 2

_Coruscant – Several Months Earlier_

Siri entered the Jedi Council Chambers only five minutes late, which she was almost certain was not late enough to receive a lecture beginning "Punctuality, a virtue is, Padawan Tachi," from Master Yoda.

Looking at the Masters' faces, she was certain she was not going to hear that. Everyone looked so intense she knew she would not be going on an ordinary mission.

"Siri," Master Adi began, "I've told the Council that I believe you are ready for the Trials and they agree."

"Thank you, Masters," she replied. So that was it. The Trials. Siri had been expecting this to happen soon. She was in her early twenties now and Master Adi had not taught her anything new in some time.

Still, it was a thrill and an honor to actually hear the words. The thrill was in anticipation of what she would soon face. One of the reasons for the Trials was to expose Padawans to their worst fears, to temptations to the Dark Side, and observe how they overcame them. The honor was that she would finally be considered a full adult in Jedi society and that the Council thought she was ready for it.

Master Windu took out a holocube and turned it on. "This is Krayn. We've had intelligence that he and his followers have been raiding towns in the Outer Rim, kidnapping slaves to sell. We think some of those he's kidnapped are Republic Citizens. The Republic government wants this stopped. We want this stopped."

"And believe me, I do too," said Siri. "But what does this have to do with my Trials?"

"Your Trial, if you accept, is to join Krayn's organization, allow him to get used to your presence, and find as much information as you can about him. For a raid, we need everything from alarm codes to lists of who he's got enslaved and how many employees he has and what their jobs are," said Master Adi.

"You mean, like espionage?" Siri asked.

_I'm a Jedi Padawan, not a Republic Intelligence Officer!_

Master Yoda raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," replied Master Windu.

Siri had never heard of any Trial quite like this.

"This will be an unusually long-term, undercover Trial. You'll have to create a new identity and pretend to leave the Order. Nobody outside this room is to know what you're doing," said Master Adi.

Pretend to leave the Jedi Order. Only twenty had ever actually left the Order, Dooku being the most recent. But everyone would believe that she'd left. Her mouth had given her a bit of a reputation as the "Rebellious Blondie" in the Temple. They'd think she'd had another fight with Master Adi or met a man or just had enough of following the strict Code and left.

For a moment, she wasn't sure she could handle leaving behind all her friends and everything she knew for so long. The part of her that wasn't too proud to admit not perfectly following the Code knew she had attachments here. And Obi-Wan would think she'd abandoned him so soon after Master Qui-Gon was killed by a Sith.

When Siri and Obi-Wan were new Padawans, she and Master Adi had gone on a mission with him and Qui-Gon. Shortly after returning to the Temple, she'd dared the serious, by-the-book boy to break one of the rules, she couldn't even remember exactly which one now, and he'd done it and been caught. He'd told the Masters _why_ he'd broken the rules, and the two were ordered to wash all the dishes in the Temple by hand. They'd made a game of seeing how much soap they could get on each other's clothes and hair, and they'd been friends ever since.

Or at least they both spent a lot of energy pretending they were just friends.

_If it weren't for the Code prohibiting attachment…_

But part of her was excited about the idea of proving herself by being a special agent. And she didn't want to let the Masters down.

"I'll take this Trial," she heard herself say. "If I don't take the first one offered, even if it is difficult, I don't deserve to be a Jedi Knight."

"Excellent," said Master Windu. "Here's everything we know about Krayn…."


	3. Chapter 3

End of the Assignment

Chapter 3

_Tatooine – a few weeks later_

Siri looked at herself in a mirror in the just-landed freighter. She certainly didn't look like a Jedi Padawan, with black pants, a tight black top, and a long, black leather jacket. Her blaster felt heavy and awkward attached to her belt. Her hair had been cut a few centimeters and dyed light auburn. Amazing what a simple change like hair could do to make you look less innocent.

"My name is Zora. I'm interested in learning the slave trade," she practiced, trying not to let her Core World accent be noticeable.

_Who is stupid enough to believe this crap?_

_No turning back now_, she grabbed her pack and got off the freighter. It was hot enough outside that she felt she was stepping into an oven. Trying to get out of the heat, she walked into the nearest bar and ordered a drink. A humanoid with spiky red hair sat on the barstool next to hers and leaned in close.

"Haven't seen you around here before," he said.

"No, I'm visiting," she answered.

"Please. Nobody _visits_ Tatooine unless they want something, well, under-the table. Maybe I can help?"

"No, thanks." Siri answered, not sure if she could trust him and not wanting to make her mission too obvious.

"Seriously, a girl like you shouldn't be in here alone, even with a blaster. Sure I can't help?"

"All right," she answered, glancing around the bar. "Do you know where Krayn was last seen?"

"Just one system over. I have a friend of a friend who works for him. Why?"

"I'm trying to find him."

"Trying to rescue someone?" he asked. "That could get pretty dangerous."

"I'm not rescuing anyone," she answered. "But do you think you could give your friend a message?"

"I guess. What message?"

"Tell Krayn that Zora would like to meet with him."


	4. Chapter 4

End of the Assignment

Chapter 4

Walking into Krayn's office for the first time, Siri felt her heart skip a beat. Here was her target. He was human, around thirty years old, with a large, intimidating build and a shaved head.

"My name is Zora. I'm interested in learning the slave trade," she said, almost certain that her voice and posture made her appear to be deadly serious. The work she had to do to get an underworld reputation and arrange this meeting had better pay off.

Krayn looked her over and seemed to consider this for a moment. "I could use someone to help me collect inventory. But I'd like you to bring me a slave first, to demonstrate that you know what you're doing."

"Fine," answered Siri.

"I'm on the move most of the time, but as it happens, I'll be here for a few days before I leave for Kessel. I'll make you a deal: Bring me somebody before I leave and you're on."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, I just need to know you've got what it takes."

"I won't let you down," said Siri. And with that, she left Krayn's office.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Thanks to _Zora, _somebody would end up in the spice mines. The fact that Siri was ultimately trying to stop this didn't help much at the moment.

Going down the street, she realized she needed to find another neighborhood. The buildings in this one looked well protected and seemed to belong to wealthy people who could follow Krayn's ship. So she got into her new speeder and headed towards the more isolated, poorer continent.

When Siri arrived there, she sighed as she had never been anywhere so seedy, even on Tatooine. The ramshackle houses were clustered together to create so-called villages, although there were long distances between them. They were in such poor condition she could hardly believe anyone lived in them.

As Siri got her blaster out and scanned the village, she could almost feel herself slipping into Zora mode. But nobody was in sight for a minute, so she started pacing the alleyways.

Before long, she could see a small, unarmed Rodian in the distance. Sauntering towards him, she called out "hands behind your back" while pointing her blaster at his chest.

When he noticed her blaster and did, she put binders on him, feeling sick to her stomach. She then got him in her speeder and went to the large building near Krayn's ship where most of his slaves lived. She took out her commlink to contact Krayn.

He seemed to be impressed, particularly when he saw the Rodian. "Back so soon? And with a young, healthy one?" he asked.

"I only take ones that can make a decent profit."

And slowly, but starting from that moment, Krayn gave Siri more and more responsibilities.


	5. Chapter 5

End of the Assignment

Chapter 5

These are some things you should know about Zora:

Zora risks being killed if those around her discover her true past and mission.

Zora is a beautiful young woman in a world in which beautiful women are a rare sight.

Zora must kidnap people and present them to Krayn to maintain her cover.

Zora swears.

Zora drinks.

Zora sleeps with a blaster under her pillow.

Zora is incredibly lonely and isolated.

Zora is becoming more real every day.

Searching the outskirts of the poor, small town, Siri saw a pre-teen girl walking through a narrow alleyway.

"Don't move, kid," she said, aiming a blaster at her.

The girl turned and terrified dark eyes met Siri's. She didn't care. She walked behind the girl and put the end of her blaster against the girl's back. "Put your hands behind your back."

The girl did. Siri then put binders on her and marched her to the center of town. Krayn was waiting for her by his speeder. "You only got one?" he asked.

"I'm only one person," Siri answered.

"Well, a healthy kid should get us quite a few credits. Put her in."

Siri did and the three of them sped out of town. Krayn's ship was waiting several kilometers away because there was no place to land in the town. Besides, they they wanted the element of surprise.

When they reached the ship, Krayn nearly threw the girl into the cargo hold. Siri could only stare and then started to panic.

_I kidnapped some girl at blasterpoint, brought her to be sold to who-knows-who, and I didn't think anything of it. What kind of person am I becoming? I've got to get out of here before I go completely insane. _


	6. Chapter 6

End of the Assignment

Chapter 6

The entire mission had sounded exciting, daring and well worth it when Master Adi had suggested it for her trials. Infiltrate Krayn's organization, get his trust, and get the information needed to bring him, his associates, and his clients to justice. In return, the slaves would be freed, certainly a cause she believed in, especially after getting to know Anakin Skywalker, and she would become a full Jedi Knight.

Entering her new office with the cable she'd bought to connect her portable computer to the server, she was sure she hadn't realized what a hell it would be. Seeing how Krayn treated his slaves made her want to throw up. Not to mention she was getting beyond sick and tired of being Krayn's dream girl, Zora.

_Honestly, if there was any real girl who would be happy with that thug's gross come-ons and didn't care that he buys and sells people like animals, I'd have to bop her on the head!_

Except she felt she was becoming the girl she once wanted to bop over the head. And that was the scariest part. She'd overestimated how long it took for pretending to become real.

Or maybe she hadn't. Her first idea had been to simply blast Krayn, remove all of the slave's monitors, send them back to their families, and be done with it. The Council had not been impressed.

"Not only is that not the Jedi way, if you did that, someone else would just take Krayn's place. This isn't about cutting an arm off of the monster. This is about killing the monster," Master Adi had explained.

Quickly unscrewing the back of her chair, she was ready for the next step of her plan. Walking down the hallway, she noticed that Krayn's office door was open. Peeking in, Siri saw Krayn and one of his bodyguards laughing like one of them had just told a hilarious joke. Afterward, they went back to eating their calamari steaks.

_Hard at work, I see. That'll make the next step to getting what's on that server easier. _

"My chair's broken. Do you know where the toolkit is?" asked Zora, smiling.

"It's in the crawl space next to the garage, Zora," Krayn answered. "Want to stay here awhile?"

"Thanks. I'll be back after getting the toolkit." Zora paused, meaningfully. "With a surprise."

The garage, as it turned out, was attached to Krayn's office building. The crawl space, which was higher than the word "crawl" made it sound, could only be entered through the garage. Siri took out her key, unlocked the door to the crawl space and stepped in.

The floor was dirt and there was little light, but Siri could clearly see both the toolbox, on the ground near the door, and the fuse box against the north wall. Siri picked up the toolbox, opened it, and took out the pliers. Walking over to the fuse box, she began to feel her heart race. She opened it and realized there was no way she could tell which powered the emergency call button behind Krayn's desk. So she cut through them all, thankful it was the middle of the day.

Siri set the toolbox back down and went back to her office. Taking out a pack, she put in her portable computer, the cable…and a blaster. She took the wire which had a receiver back at the Jedi Temple, attached it to the inside of the back of her top, and flipped the switch on it by feel. "Operation commencing."

Now she would find out if her plan had been approved.

"Ready when you are, Freelancer," came Master Windu's voice from the receiver end.

_Here goes nothing… _Siri began to panic,

_The Force will be with you, always. I did not have the power to free the slaves, but you do, _Siri was sure she heard in her head.

Qui-Gon Jinn? Obi-Wan's old master? Could those who were one with the Force communicate with the living? But whether it was him or her imagination, she felt herself began to calm down and concentrate on what lay ahead.

Coming next…the scene from Alias that was so impressive it was the first scene after the Superbowl two years ago.


	7. Chapter 7

End of the Assignment

Chapter 7

Siri picked up her case, left her office, and sashayed down the hallway as confidently as she could. The door to Krayn's office was still open, and he and his bodyguard were still there, drinking and carrying on. Entering the office, she put her case down, took off her leather jacket, and then looked at Krayn meaningfully.

"I think it's about time I gave you what I promised," Siri said flirtatiously, giving Krayn a come-hither motion with her right hand.

He looked at his bodyguard and they smirked at each other.

_This is not your lucky day, guys._

Krayn motioned to the bodyguard to leave the room. He did, closing the door behind him.

"You are such a fabulous woman, Zora," began Krayn.

Siri gave him a playful push towards his desk. He took off his jacket and boosted himself up to sit on it. As Siri climbed on top of him, Krayn started to murmur sweet nothings as she started to give him a neck massage.

Siri started to reach for the button on the bracelet she was wearing. It was the one Krayn had given her that contained a wire she was to put around the neck of any slave who got out of control.

Now she could feel the button. She pushed it, took a hold of the wire, and pulled it around his neck.

And Siri pounded his head into the desk. "That's for all the horrible things you made me do," she screamed at the top of her lungs. Krayn looked more pissed than she had ever seen him.

She felt his head being pounded into the desk. "And _that's_ for all the sick things I saw and heard you do."

It then occurred to Siri that she had behaved in a very un-Jedi like manner in the hearing of the entire Council.

_A Jedi shall not know anger._

Well, she'd been in trouble with them before and survived. She was used to speaking her mind. That was probably one of the reasons she'd been given this particular Trial. They wanted to test how she'd react to _not_ being able to say whatever was on her mind.

Siri noticed that Krayn was reaching for the emergency button.

"This isn't my first day here; I cut the wire to the emergency button! Tell me how to access your server."

No response. Siri pulled harder on the wire. Krayn started to choke.

"Over there! Behind the frame."

Siri looked up and noticed the painting on the east wall. She elbowed Krayn in the face, got off of the desk, grabbed her pack, and used the Force to take down the painting. Sure enough, there was a panel with a button in the middle. Pushing the button caused the panel to flip over and reveal a computer.

Siri opened her pack, took everything out, and held the blaster in her left hand while plugging the cable into the computer with her right. She put the other end of the cable into her portable computer. After typing the command she was almost certain was the right one, Siri turned her head and said "Data transmitting."

"We've got it," came the response from the wire's receiver end.

Siri was just about to stand up and run out of the office when she felt the end of a blaster against her head.

"Don't move. Drop the blaster," Siri heard the bodyguard.

_Damn! Why didn't I hear the door swish open or sense this guy in the room?_

"Throw the blaster. Make him reach for it," Siri heard Master Windu say.

So she threw it to her left. While the bodyguard's attention was on the blaster and he was bent over, she put her hands on the ground and kicked back with her left leg as hard as she could. As soon as she felt her boot heel hit him, be started to tumble over, dropping his blaster. They both scrambled to their feet. Siri gave him another kick, not that it did much good as he was noticeably larger than her and he was expecting it.

Then they both stopped at the sound of a blaster cocking. Siri turned her head towards the sound to see Krayn aiming a blaster at her.

Then he fired.


	8. Chapter 8

End of the Assignment

Chapter 5

_Why didn't I hold out for a Trial that allowed the use of a fucking __lightsaber?_

Siri dived to her right and heard the blaster bolt go through the window behind her, grabbing her blaster as she did so.

"You backstabbing bitch! You think you can steal from us?" Krayn screamed, but at least he stopped shooting when Siri had the ability to shoot back.

Siri got up, glanced towards her left, and noticed that the bodyguard, who also had to dive to avoid being shot, had not yet picked up his blaster. She concentrated on it for a fraction of a second, tapped into the Force, and it flew into her left hand.

_Nice to know those skills don't just disappear after not using them for months!_

Siri would have found the shocked look on the men's faces very funny if she didn't still have a blaster aimed at her.

"_Jedi_ bitch!" exclaimed the bodyguard.

Siri was certain she had never heard those two words together before.

She aimed one of the blasters at the bodyguard and the other at Krayn. "Look, if you don't want me to blast your brains out, let me go," she said, slowly backing up against the window, hearing glass crunch under her feet.

The men didn't move or say anything.

Siri reached the wall. The blasted-out window was right behind her. Continuing to keep a blaster on the men, she jumped to sit on the window ledge. There were small pieces of glass on it, but her pants were thick enough to keep her from getting cut up.

She lifted her left foot behind her. There – she got her foot on the ledge. That made it easier to get her right foot on the ledge. She stood up; her thighs burned for a second.

Suddenly, Krayn's face changed. "You're not going to blast us, you Jedi prude," he yelled out.

"Don't push me," said Siri, firing a warning shot.

In the momentary distraction that followed, Siri turned around and jumped off the ledge, She started running before the men could follow her.

"I'm out of the building," she called into the wire.

"Go one block north," came Master Adi's voice in reply.

That happened to be the direction she was running in. Just a few seconds later, she heard a familiar voice call out "Siri!" from a speeder on the side of the road. She jumped in and then it started to speed away. Siri turned her head to look at Ob-Wan and Anakin.

For a second, nobody spoke.

Then everybody started to talk at once. They stopped again.

"Did the Council get whatever is on Krayn's server?" asked Anakin.

"Yes," she replied,

"Yippee!" cheered Anakin. "Did you pummel him? Or force-choke him? I hope you did, after his raid on Mos Espa a few years ago."

"Anakin, I only agreed to let you come along because you swore you would be a model Padawan, even when confronting your past."

"Sorry, Master Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan then turned towards Siri. "I thought you'd left the Order without even saying a proper good-bye. We had no idea where you were until a few days ago."

"I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan! Bu the Council ordered me not to tell anyone."

"Master Obi-Wan thinks you look cute in that top," came from the back of the speeder.

Siri looked at Obi-Wan, whose cheeks had suddenly become noticeably redder than usual. Well, she had worn tighter tops that showed more skin as Zora.

"If it weren't for the Code forbidding attachment..." Siri whispered,

"I know," Obi-whispered back.

Siri realized that if she and Obi-Wan were several years older and they were all wearing middle-class clothes, the three of them could almost pass for a family. And it hurt, for a second, that the Code would never allow her to have a husband or child of her own.

But the Order had taught her to live without that.

"I can't believe the Council actually listened to me," spoke up Anakin.

"What are you talking about?" asked Siri.

"I told them everything I knew about Krayn and his raid on Mos Espa. He kidnapped my friend's mother."

"So _you're _the one that got me sent to that hellhole for months," said Siri. "Obi-Wan, you might have to protect your apprentice when we get back to the Temple."

"He's all yours if you want him."

"Obi-Wan!"

Siri turned towards Anakin. "You did the right thing. I'm kidding – mostly."


	9. Chapter 9

End of the Assignment

Epilogue

It was wonderful and strange to be back at the Temple. Siri, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Bant had spent most of the night catching up, drinking, and toasting Siri's upcoming Knighting ceremony and the coming raid of Krayn's organization. Siri was sure every Padawan and Knight in the place had stopped by to see for themselves that the "Rebellious Blondie" was back and ask what had happened. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell all the details.

Finally, when the first dawn of light came, she started up to her quarters. She was exhausted, had a buzz, which took more drinks as she drank more as Zora, and wanted to see for herself that her own spot in the Galaxy hadn't been changed.

She unlocked the door and looked around. Everything was just as she remembered. Opening the closet, it seemed strange to find Jedi robes in there. She opened her top desk drawer, took out her lightsaber, and ignited it. Siri gave it a twirl, which felt much more awkward then she remembered. She'd have to ask Obi-Wan if she could spar with him.

Putting her lightsaber back, she noticed something there that wasn't there before. Her Padawan braid was neatly tucked in the back. Master Adi had cut it off the day before she left the Temple for her Trial.

Siri then took of her boots, washed her face in the fresher, and fell asleep without a blaster under her pillow for the first time in months.

When she woke up, it was almost noon. She just had time to change clothes before she heard a knock at the door. It was Master Adi.

"Siri, it's wonderful to see you again. I'm here to say I'm proud of you and I wanted to be the first to call you Jedi _Knight_ Siri Tachi."

"Thank you, Master Adi. I passed?"

"Yes, you did. I didn't say you got full marks, but you passed. Consider yourself on vacation in the Temple right now and your Knighting ceremony is in two days."

That sounded wonderful.

"And Siri, even though I'm not your Master anymore, I suggest you spend plenty of time meditating and practicing the skills you haven't been able to use."

"Of course."

After Master Adi left, Siri took her bracelet, went to her window, and opened it. Looking out over the never-ending city of Coruscant, she let it drop and fall many stories to break into about a thousand pieces.

It seemed a fitting way to kiss Zora goodbye.

Many thanks to LittleVampiteBites for betaing this and her encouragement.


End file.
